Ottawa Senators congratulate Jason Spezza on a goal against the Winnipeg Jets during third-period National Hockey League action at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg on Tues., Nov. 29, 2011.
JASON HALSTEAD/WINNIPEG SUN QMI AGENCY

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WINNIPEG — Paul MacLean made a shrewd move to ensure a victory upon the return to his adopted hometown.

Returning to the city in which he played for seven seasons, the Senators coach saw his team blow a third-period lead and then fight hard to get it back, finally dumping the Winnipeg Jets by a 6-4 count at the MTS Centre.

It was Ottawa’s second win in a row and moved MacLean’s club two games over the .500 mark. This one could never be scripted.

MacLean used his third line on the power play and the move worked when Zack Smith scored his second of the game at 13:45 of the third period to break a 4-4 tie. It was Smith’s sixth of the season and marked the first multi-goal game of his career.

Asked if he was surprised to be on the power play, Smith smiled.

“A little bit,” he said. “I think he had to say our name twice before we went out.

“It was a good game for our line. (Craig Anderson) kept us in it and we capitalized on our chances.”

“I think I actually called (Smith’s name) three times before he got over the (boards),” MacLean said of the decision to use his third line on the power play. “They did a good job. They played real hard tonight. When players are playing hard, you have to reward them with an opportunity. They’ve been killing penalties for us and doing a real good job. Just felt we had to give them an opportunity on the power play and see what they could do.”

Nick Foligno sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute.

Also scoring two for the Senators was Milan Michalek, the first of which also marked the 300th point of his career.

But the Senators looked like they were going to lose for the first time in seven games when leading at the end of two.

Things began to slip away when Erik Karlsson was slid into the offensive zone sideboards by Dustin Byfuglien — who, with 12 shots on goal, established a new high by an NHLer in one game this season and had the most by a defencemen since 2006. As Karlsson was slow to get up and appeared shaken, the play went back down ice. Standing by the net, Evander Kane was fortunately hit by a Zach Bogosian point shot, as it allowed him to then put the puck in the empty side.

Karlsson was fine, as it turned out, but he wasn’t able to push Kane off the puck 77 seconds later, as the Jets winger pushed his team in front with Foligno in the box.

Karlsson did make up for his lack of intensity by putting a perfect pass on Jason Spezza’s stick as the Senators centre tied the game with a shot into the open net just before the halfway mark of the period.

“I was a little bit happy and unhappy with my team tonight, but at the end of the night, we found a way to win the game,” said MacLean. “We showed some resilence and we worked real hard.

“It was a little bit of a race. Our penalty killers did a real good job tonight and our goaltender was very good.”

The Senators lost Nikita Filatov in the first period when he suffered a broken nose after accidentally getting kicked by Eric Fehr.

Bobby Butler was pushed up to the first line from the fourth to take his place alongside Jason Spezza and Colin Greening.

The goaltending of Anderson and some fortunate bounces and deflections kept the Senators on even ground with the Jets until Michalek opened the scoring. Daniel Alfredsson collected the milestone keepsake for Michalek.

Michalek had two goals and an assist in an earlier 4-1 victory over Winnipeg.

“I don’t know, I guess it’s just luck against this team,” he said, before adding of his 300th point. “I was thinking a little bit about it all day. Now its behind me and I’m happy I did it.”

The players wanted to win this game for the coach.

“We talked about it a little in the morning. It was nice..it was a hard working win too. I think we’re all happy for that.”

Filip Kuba suffered an upper-body injury in the first and did not return.